1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates to a sheet transfer device which allows a sheet, if jammed across the sheet transfer device and its adjacent sheet transfer device provided along a sheet transfer route in an image forming apparatus while being transferred along the sheet transfer route, to be easily taken out from the devices without leaving the jammed sheet in the devices.
2. Related Art
Generally, the sheet transfer device configured to transfer sheets is applied to an image forming apparatus such as a printing apparatus configured to print images and characters on sheets and a photocopier configured to duplicate images and characters on sheets.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-31422 proposes such an image forming apparatus to which the sheet transfer device is applied. When paper jam occurs and a jammed sheet exists across a main body and a drawer unit, the proposed image forming apparatus can automatically prevent the jammed sheet from being torn.
Although illustration is omitted herein, the image forming apparatus described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-31422 includes units for sheet transfer (for example, a sheet transfer unit and a duplex printing unit) as drawer units in various portions of the apparatus such that the units can be drawn out toward the front of the main body in a substantially horizontal direction.
For example, in the aforementioned sheet transfer unit, a base portion is attached to be capable of being drawn out in the horizontal direction by engaging with rails in the main body. Moreover, a sheet guide member is attached onto the base portion to be openable and closeable by turning about a supporting shaft extending in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet transfer direction.
A sheet transfer route for transferring sheets is formed between the base portion and the sheet guide member and a pair of upper and lower sheet transfer rollers are provided along the sheet transfer route.
When sheet jam occurs, a controller stops all of the sheets being transferred in the main body. In addition, if the sheet is stopped to exist across the main body and the drawer unit configured as described above, the controller moves the stopped sheet such that the sheet can completely enter the drawer unit or the main body.
Moreover, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-31422 states a jammed sheet can be taken out from the sheet transfer route in such a way that: the sheet transfer unit is drawn out from the main body; and then the sheet transfer route is exposed with the sheet guide member opened upward from the base portion, for example.